Google Workspace Updates

Google Meet is now available on CarPlay

2026-04-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

We’re excited to announce Google Meet for Apple CarPlay, allowing on-the-go professionals to stay connected hands-free and join meetings safely while on the road.

With this update, users can now access Google Meet directly from their car's dashboard. This feature is designed to provide a seamless transition from your mobile iOS device to your vehicle, ensuring you never miss an important discussion. Whether you are commuting or traveling between appointments, you can now join meetings with a single tap, view your upcoming schedule, and participate in audio-only calls to maintain focus on driving.

Please note that when you join a meeting, your camera is turned off and you won’t see the incoming video content. You will hear the audio from the meeting and have audio input access from your microphone.

Android Auto users can expect a version of Meet for Android Auto soon.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be ON by default for users with the Google Meet app installed on their iPhone. To use it, simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay-compatible vehicle. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on March 23, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Help: Use Google Meet with Apple Carplay

Export Google Vids directly to YouTube

2026-04-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

You can now publish the videos you create in Google Vids directly to YouTube. This saves you a few steps - previously you would export the project as an MP4 file, then go to YouTube to upload the file.

Whether you are creating marketing videos, training materials, or educational content, this feature reduces manual effort and simplifies the publishing process.

To maintain security and provide creative control, all exported videos are initially set to Private. You can review the content in YouTube Studio before choosing to set the visibility to Public or Unlisted.

Use the new option in the File menu to export your video directly to YouTube.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default to organizations with both YouTube and Google Vids enabled. The feature will not be visible in domains where YouTube is disabled, or “Strict” or “Moderate” restricted modes are enforced. Access to YouTube can be controlled at the domain/OU/group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more
End users: Try the feature in Google Vids today. Visit the Help Center to learn more about exporting your vids.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on Mar 31, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on Apr 14, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage your organization's YouTube settings
Google Help: Get started with Google Vids
Google Workspace Blog: New easy ways to create and share videos with AI in Google Vids
Keyword: Create, edit and share videos at no cost in Google Vids

Record your screen directly from Chrome with the Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome Extension

2026-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

You can now quickly record your screen from any browser window using the new Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome extension. Instead of having to open Google Vids to access recording functionality, you can now initiate a recording with a single click right from the Chrome extensions toolbar.

This is available at no additional cost to Google Workspace customers and anyone with a personal Google account.

Whether you are capturing a quick walkthrough, a bug report, or a presentation, this extension simplifies the creation process by allowing you to record from any tab without interrupting your workflow. You can record videos up to 30 minutes in length, making it easy to capture thorough walkthroughs or deep dives. Once your recording is complete, you can preview it and then seamlessly open it in Vids to edit and share like any other video.

Quickly record your screen from any browser window

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default if your organization has Google Vids enabled. To facilitate a smoother rollout, admins can force-install the extension and auto-pin it to the Chrome extensions toolbar for their users via the Admin console.
End users: If your admin hasn’t already installed the extension for you, navigate to the Chrome Web Store to add the extension to your browser. If your admin has not pinned it for you, we recommend pinning the extension to your toolbar for the fastest access.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now via the Chrome Web Store

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Automatically install apps and extensions
Google Workspace Blog: March Workspace Drop
Keyword: Create, edit and share videos at no cost in Google Vids

Direct an avatar to speak and act anywhere with a consistent face and voice

2026-04-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

AI Avatars in Google Vids can deliver your message with a consistent face and voice throughout a video, and they are preferred 5x more often than those on other platforms.

Today we’re excited to announce you can now place avatars in different scenes and have them interact with objects you specify, like your newly released product or a piece of safety equipment. Their faces and voices will remain consistent as you generate different scenes.

You can use avatars in scenarios like:

Annual training: Avatars can explain requirements in training videos while in relevant settings.
Company announcement: Place an avatar in your office by uploading an image.
Sales pitch: Upload an image of your product and direct your avatar to showcase it.

Prompt

He picks up the phone in the phone booth, and says "Whatever your story is, Avatars can tell it in Google Vids!" into the phone as if on a call.

Veo Generation

When generating avatars, users will have the ability to:

Control actions: Instruct your avatar to walk, talk, and use objects simply by typing a prompt.
Use reference images: Upload two additional images to direct your avatar in customized locations or to use unique objects relevant to your video.
Choose an avatar: Select a speaker that provides consistency across every generation.

Direct avatar experience

Currently, this feature is only available to Workspace accounts set to English.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Note: Workspace customers will get promotional access to higher usage limits of Veo 3.1 avatars in Vids, allowing users to experiment with these features. Per-user usage limits will apply afterward; we’ll provide more information in a future update prior to any changes.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on March 31, 2025

Availability

Business Starter **, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise Starter **, Standard, and Plus
Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus
Nonprofits**
Education Plus** and Teaching and Learning add-on**
Google AI Pro for Education add-on
Google AI Pro and Ultra

**For a limited time, at least through May 31, 2026, Business Starter, Enterprise Starter, Nonprofit, Education Plus, and Teaching and Learning add-on accounts can access generative AI features in Vids. Learn about Google Vids availability.

Resources

Google Help: Use AI avatars in Google Vids
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Our best avatars in Google Vids yet, now powered by Veo 3.1

Create and refine custom avatars in Google Vids

2026-04-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

AI Avatars in Google Vids provide high-quality speakers preferred five times more often than those on other platforms. Now you can customize and refine these avatars to match your brand and message, with Nano Banana 2.

Why use custom avatars?

Unique Branding: Build an exclusive look that represents your specific team or organization.
Global Localization: Adjust appearance and background to fit specific regional locales.
Tailored Imagery: Stylize outfits—such as a tuxedo—to match the specific tone of your video.

Googler avatar

Astronaut avatar

Complete Creative Control

Guided Generation: Use a simple prompt or the guided form to create your initial avatar.
Easy Refinement: Request specific tweaks like adding glasses, hats, or changing locations.
Vocal Variety: Choose from seven available voices to seamlessly pair with your custom visuals.

Custom Avatar user experience

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using avatars in Vids.

Note: Workspace customers will get promotional access to higher usage limits of avatars in Vids, allowing users to experiment with these features. Per-user usage limits will apply afterward; we’ll provide more information in a future update prior to any changes.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on April 2, 2026.

Availability

Business: Business Starter**, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter**, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus**
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Other Editions: Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Nonprofits**
AI Add-ons: AI Ultra Access; AI Expanded Access; Google AI Pro for Education
Other Add-ons: Teaching and Learning**

Resources

Google Help: Use AI avatars in Google Vids

Enabling user-initiated purchases, starting with higher access to advanced AI features in Workspace

2026-04-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

We’re introducing a new capability that allows end users to purchase Google Workspace add-ons directly, starting with the AI Expanded Access add-on for users in the United States and Canada with a Google Workspace Business edition. This feature is designed to help organizations and admins address the growing demand for AI tools while simplifying how users can get higher access to the latest advanced AI tools in Workspace.

Currently, users who want more access to advanced AI capabilities - such as higher usage in the Gemini app and NotebookLM, or specialized tools like Veo 3 or Avatar creation in Google Vids - must rely on their IT administrators to procure and assign add-on licenses. This can create bottlenecks for motivated users who have adopted these tools and are eager to further boost their productivity with Google Workspace. With this update, eligible users can purchase the AI Expanded Access add-on themselves using their own form of payment and an individual billing account.

Admins retain control

You retain full control of this feature, including the ability to turn this capability off for your entire organization or specific groups. Administrators can review which users have purchased subscriptions through the Admin console, and have the ability to cancel subscriptions if they wish to do so. Visibility of user-purchased subscriptions can be a valuable source of information to central teams around broader licensing decisions while maintaining administrative visibility and control.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be on by default, and can be disabled at the domain, OU, or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: If your organization is eligible and the setting has not been disabled (see availability details below), users may see an in-product prompt to upgrade to get higher access when they reach their usage limit for certain AI features in Google Workspace. Clicking this prompt will allow the user to buy the add-on directly using their own payment method. Once they’ve signed up, they’ll get access to higher usage of advanced AI features in Workspace with the AI Expanded Access add-on when using their company Workspace account. Users will be able to manage their add-on subscription by visiting the user subscription management page at workspace.google.com/individual/user/manage.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Currently available
Users in eligible organizations may see the option to upgrade to the AI Expanded Access add-on when they reach certain AI feature usage limits starting no sooner than April 7, 2026.

Availability

Business Editions: Initially, users with Business Standard or Business Plus licenses in the United States and Canada will be able to make these purchases. We plan to make this capability available to more customers in the coming months. Administrators will be notified by email when user-initiated purchases will be made available in their domains, and they’ll have the opportunity to adjust settings for this capability in the Admin console before the rollout of user-initiated purchases.*

*Note: This feature is not yet available to customers who have purchased Workspace from a resale partner, an offline order form, or customers outside of the United States and Canada. For these customers, AI Expanded Access licenses can be purchased by Administrators in the Admin console, through your partner, or Google account manager.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Let users buy add-ons

Upcoming change to default setting for downloading Google Meet recordings

2026-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Currently, Google Meet video recordings do not allow viewers to download or copy them by default unless the recording owner explicitly allows it. As a result, the "Ask Gemini" functionality within the Drive viewer is also disabled by default for viewers who aren’t file owners.

Starting April 30, 2026, we will change this default for new recordings. From that date forward, recording owners will need to manually restrict this setting for individual recordings if they do not want viewers to be able to download or copy them. This change applies only to future recordings and will not impact existing files.

If you want to keep downloads disabled by default, you must uncheck "Let Users download and copy Meet Recordings" in the Admin console before April 30, 2026. As a reminder, this will restrict Ask Gemini for viewers unless the recording owner takes action to allow downloads.

Getting started

Admins: Admins can manage this via the new "Meet video settings > Let Users download and copy Meet Recordings" control at the domain, OU, or group level. The new default is to allow users to download and copy Meet Recordings. Admins can change this default at any time. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: Recording owners retain the ability to manually restrict downloading and copying for individual recordings through the file sharing settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 30, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Plus and Business Standard
Enterprise: Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Starter
Education: Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn Meet recording on or off for your organization

Form creation with Gemini and more now available in more languages

2026-04-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last year, we announced Help me create in Google Forms and then expanded access to the feature to seven more languages.

Help me create in Google Forms drafts your questions 3x faster than doing it manually.*

Now, this feature is also available to users in 21 more languages including Arabic, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

You can use Help me create to enter a prompt that describes the form you want to create or a prompt that references supporting Docs, Sheets, Slides, or PDFs. Gemini will then generate a draft form, incorporating details from any files you reference, that can be used instantly or further customized.

Last year, we also announced Gemini-powered question suggestions. Now, this feature is also available to users in 28 more languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, and German.

*Note: The time savings for the feature are calculated from a randomized experiment of real users using Google Forms.

Getting started

Admins: To access Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on default personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating a form with Gemini in Google Forms.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Education Plus, Teaching & Learning, Google AI Pro for Education
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra

Resources

Google Help: Supported languages for Google Workspace with Gemini
Google Workspace Updates blog: Use Gemini in Google Forms to quickly create a new form
Google Workspace Updates blog: Ask Gemini to suggest new questions

Generate beautiful and editable slides with ease in Google Slides

2026-04-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Slide generation just got a major upgrade. Gemini can now create fully editable, brand-matched slides using dynamic layouts tailored to your specific content. To ensure visual consistency, Gemini securely analyzes your existing deck to generate designs that fit your established style. You can also manually reference specific files for content or style or allow Gemini to automatically surface relevant files from your Google Drive. In addition, users can now edit existing Slides to change layouts and design elements or content. Just click “Create” or “Enhance this slide” to get started.

You can still beautify your slide as an image as well, but that option is now only available from the Slide menu.

At launch, this feature will be supported in English and several additional languages.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about generating slides with Gemini.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 31, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
AI Add-ons: AI Ultra Access; AI Expanded Access; Google AI Pro for Education
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra

Note: This feature will be supported for English and international languages

Resources

Google Help: Learn how to generate a slide with Gemini in Google Slides
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Reimagining content creation with Gemini in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive

An update on secondary calendar lifecycle changes and a new API

2026-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

We recently announced a change to the ownership model of secondary calendars to improve data governance. As part of this, we emailed impacted customers to let them know that orphan secondary calendars would be deleted starting on April 27, 2026.

Since that announcement, we’ve received valuable feedback that to properly manage this new lifecycle, customers need better programmatic tools to handle secondary calendar data before it gets deleted.

To ensure you have the time and tools necessary to manage this transition smoothly, we are making two important updates:

We are launching a new API endpoint by the end of June to transfer secondary calendars within your organization.
We are postponing the secondary calendar lifecycle changes to October 5, 2026 for non-personal Workspace accounts.

Coming soon: new API endpoint to transfer secondary calendars

In the coming months, we’ll introduce a new endpoint in the Calendar API that will allow developers to programmatically transfer the ownership of secondary calendars. This endpoint will require the Calendar administrator privilege.

The API will mirror the existing capabilities in the Admin console—transferring secondary calendars within the same organization without requiring confirmation by the receiving user—and introduces the additional flexibility to transfer individual calendars.

The new API endpoint will be available for integration by June 2026. An announcement and technical documentation will be published when the API goes live.

Extended deadline for lifecycle changes

To give your teams ample time to adjust their workflows and integrate with the new API endpoint, we are officially pushing back the enforcement date for the secondary calendar lifecycle changes for non-personal Workspace accounts.

The new policy—where secondary calendars are permanently deleted upon the deletion of the owner's account—will now take effect on October 5, 2026, for non-personal Workspace accounts.

Until then, we will run a regular process for orphan calendars that auto-assigns ownership to a user who has “Make changes and manage sharing” access. This process will stop on October 5, 2026. Instead, make sure to ask the owner to transfer relevant secondary calendars to a colleague before they leave - or make sure an administrator executes the transfer using the Admin console or the new API endpoint.

Note that the changes to the secondary calendar lifecycle will still take effect on April 27, 2026, for users with personal Google accounts.

Additional details

Secondary calendars owned by an organization must be owned by a user within that same organization, and ownership transfers are restricted to users in the same domain. However, you can continue to share calendars with users outside your organization—including with high-level permissions such as "Make changes and manage sharing"—provided your organization policies allow it.

Example of a secondary calendar owned by the dwelling.com organization, with elsonl@dwelling.com as owner

Example of a personal secondary calendar (not owned by an organization), with amandahayes@gmail.com as owner

Getting started

Admins: Stay tuned for more details on the new API endpoint when it launches.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. End users can already transfer secondary calendars to other users within their organization. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains

New API endpoint: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting in June (to be announced on Workspace Updates blog when available)
Secondary calendar lifecycle change: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 5, 2026

Users with personal Google accounts

Secondary calendar lifecycle change: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on Apr 27, 2026

Impact

All Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts are impacted by these changes

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Cancel or transfer events or secondary calendars before deleting a user
Google Workspace Admin Help: Create a group calendar
Google Help: Transfer calendars or events in Google Calendar
Google Help: Create a new calendar
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Improving secondary calendar management with dedicated owners

Download the third-party attestation for data regions

2026-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Beginning today, admins have access to an independent review of Google Workspace’s data regions, not only for their compliance needs but also for their peace of mind.

This external evaluation from Coalfire, a third-party assessment organization, gives Assured Controls customers the confidence that their data is stored and processed within a Google data center in the assigned region. Google Workspace admins can log on to their data regions reports and download an independent perspective on Google’s implementation of Workspace data residency controls to meet storage and processing requirements.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about data regions reports.
End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Enterprise: Enterprise Plus customers with Assured Controls and Assured Controls Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Plus customers with Assured Controls and Assured Controls Plus

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: View your data regions status reports
Google Workspace Admin Help: About Assured Controls and Assured Controls Plus

Ransomware detection and file restoration for Google Drive now generally available

2026-03-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

In September 2025, we launched ransomware detection and file restoration in beta to help organizations minimize the impact of malware attacks on personal computers. Today, we’re excited to share these two features are generally available with significant improvements in malware detection.

Compared to when the feature was in beta, we are now able to detect even more types of ransomware encryption and are able to do it faster. Our latest AI model is detecting 14x more infections, leading to even more comprehensive protection.

Thousands of users have tested file restoration, demonstrating that it’s scalable and reliable.

Ransomware detection: When users have Google Drive for desktop installed on their computers, file syncing will be paused when ransomware is detected. The user will see a notification appear on their computer. Admins will see an alert in the Admin console security center; notification emails will be delivered to both users and admins.
File restoration: Users are able to bulk restore their files to a previous version in Drive with ease, saving them time and money without paying a ransom. Users can select and restore multiple files prior to when ransomware infected their computer, making their files inaccessible.

Getting started

Admins:

Ransomware detection will be on by default for users in your organization. You can turn it on or off at the OU level by going to Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Drive and Docs > Malware and Ransomware. If ransomware is detected for your users, admins will receive an email and get an alert in the Alert center.
Drive file restoration will be on by default. You can turn it on or off at Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Drive and Docs > Drive file restoration.
Install the latest version of Drive for desktop on user computers (v.114 or later) to enable the detection alerts (syncing will still be paused on older versions).
Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing ransomware detection and file restoration for your organization.

The Admin console setting for ransomware detection

The Admin console setting for Drive file restoration

Email to admins when potential ransomware is detected

Admin alert in the Alert center with information on the potential ransomware detection

Alert detail on the ransomware detection

End users: The availability of this feature will depend on your admin’s settings. If turned on and ransomware is detected, you will see the alerts and access the interface below. Visit the Help Center to learn more about restoring files in bulk with Google Drive

End user alert in Drive for desktop when ransomware is detected

Interface to assist with file recovery

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

File restoration

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Ransomware detection

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus
Education: Education Standard and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Standard and Plus

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Detect ransomware and recover files in Drive for desktop
Google Help: Restore files in bulk with Google Drive
Workspace Blog: Block ransomware proliferation and easily restore files with AI in Google Drive
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Ransomware detection and file restoration for Google Drive available in beta

Introducing guest accounts: Collaborate securely and communicate with non-Workspace users in Google Chat

2026-03-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today, we're excited to announce the general availability of guest accounts in Google Workspace. Guest accounts empower organizations to securely collaborate with customers, partners, and vendors that are not on Google Workspace. More than secure, real-time messaging in Google Chat, guest accounts enable organizations to extend their security and data protection policies to these non-Workspace users. Whether it’s collaborating on a marketing brief in Google Docs or a presentation in Google Slides, non-Workspace users with guest accounts adhere to your organization’s security policies.

How it works

When an end user in your organization invites an external, non-Workspace user in Google Chat through a direct message (DM) or Chat Space, a guest account is provisioned for that external user within your Workspace domain with a unique account identifier. These guest accounts are also automatically placed in a dedicated "Workspace Guests" Organizational Unit (OU) in the Admin console, with default security policies designed for these external users.

When communicating with guest accounts in DMs or Chat Spaces, your organization’s end users will see a teal “external” label for guest accounts. This is similar to the yellow “external” label that we have utilized in Google Chat to indicate external Workspace users. Guests can be @mentioned across supported Workspace app surfaces, similar to any other user. This means that end users can invite guests via Chat and collaborate with them using Chat, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Meet.

Granular admin settings

Workspace admins have full visibility and control. The guest accounts capability is tied to your existing external chat settings. If you have external chatting enabled, end users in your organization can now start inviting non-Workspace users in Chat to collaborate with you.

Manage guest access settings: Manage who can invite guests to your organization.
Manage guest lifecycle: View and manage all provisioned guest accounts in the admin console and through APIs.
Policy enforcement: Guest accounts have a few default security settings that are not inherited from the Root OU. This helps organizations get started from a baseline security posture for guest accounts. View the defaults and apply your org specific policies to the "Workspace Guests" OU, such as 2-step verification or context-aware access.

Your organization retains full ownership of data created and shared within your Workspace domain when collaborating with users using guest accounts. Moreover, external users with guest accounts cannot create or own new files in Google Drive; they can only be invited to collaborate on existing files.

To learn more about the full set of capabilities for guest accounts and features available to host organization’s administrators to manage these guest accounts, take a look at the detailed documentation.

Important notes

Guest accounts are created only for non-Workspace external users. Functionality to collaborate with external Workspace users and consumer Google accounts remains unchanged and does not require guest account creation. API capability to create guests will be available in open beta by May 2026.
If you use trusted domains to only allow sharing only with certain organizations outside of your business, you can now start adding non-Workspace domains to your allowlisted domains to start collaborating securely with non-Workspace domains. Note that setting up trusted domains prevents your organisation from collaborating with consumer Google accounts. This includes collaboration with non-Workspace users who may have created consumer Google accounts using their work email address.
Guests are modelled as a type of user. In the Directory API, user.list will now include guests by default. The API now also includes a new field is_guest_user to identify guests. Guests will not be auto provisioned to existing 3P SAML apps that support automated user provisioning.

Getting started

Admins:

External chat settings: At launch, end users who can chat externally will be able to invite and collaborate with non-Workspace external users in Chat by default. You can control which users are allowed to chat externally using the existing external chat settings.
Guest invitation setting: You can restrict who can invite guest accounts in your organization using the guest invitation setting. This defaults to ON for everyone who can chat externally in your organization.

End users: End users who can collaborate externally and have been permitted by admins to invite end users will be able to invite and collaborate with non-Workspace external users in Chat using guest accounts.

Guests: Non-Workspace external users will receive an email invitation to their primary email address when invited by the host organization. Guests can sign up to start collaborating. Guests have limited feature capabilities available, similar to Workspace external users.

Rollout pace

Admin controls

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout starting on March 26, 2026, and completing on April 10, 2026. Admins will be notified in Chat when the settings are available in their organization.

End user capabilities

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout starting April 13, 2026, and completing on April 16, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Workspace guests
Google Workspace Admin Help: Chatting with external users

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - March 27, 2026

2026-03-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Safeguarded guest admit flow in Google Meet

The new safeguarded guest admit flow assists hosts in meetings when they respond to users who ask to join meetings (also known as ”knocking”). This makes it easier for hosts to handle large volumes of requests and helps reduce the attention and time needed. | Learn more about safeguarded guest admit flow in Google Meet.

Create longer musical tracks in the Gemini app with Lyria 3 Pro

Generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro

You can now generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro, Google’s latest music generation model. | Learn more about how to generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro.

Ensure accurate meeting records with automatic language detection in Google Meet

We’re introducing automatic language detection in Google Meet to help ensure your meeting transcripts, summarized notes, and recorded captions are as accurate as possible. | Learn more about how to ensure accurate meeting records with automatic language detection in Google Meet.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Ensure accurate meeting records with automatic language detection in Google Meet

2026-03-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

We’re introducing automatic language detection in Google Meet to help ensure your meeting transcripts, summarized notes, and recorded captions are as accurate as possible.

Meet now intelligently detects the language being spoken during a session one time per-meeting. If the detected language does not match the current meeting language setting, a nudge will appear on-screen for the user. This prompt allows a quick switch to the correct language, restarting the generation of meeting artifacts in the appropriate tongue to maintain record integrity.

Why it matters

As organizations become more global, meetings may be initiated with incorrect default settings. Inaccurate language settings lead to poor quality transcripts and notes that don't reflect the actual conversation. This feature ensures that even if a meeting starts with the wrong language configuration, users can course-correct within seconds to capture every detail accurately.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be ON by default. When a mismatch is detected, a nudge will appear after approximately 30 seconds of continued speech in the secondary language. Users can select Change language to update the setting or Ignore to dismiss the prompt. The following languages are supported: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 26, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Plus
Education: Google AI Pro for Education
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra

Resources

Google Help: Take notes for me in Google Meet

Generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro

2026-03-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

You can now generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro, Google’s latest music generation model.

Using text-based prompting, Vids users can generate clips (about 30 seconds) or longer tracks (up to three minutes) for their video projects. A user might, for instance, need an upbeat, high-tempo track featuring pop-style lyrics tailored for their product pitch. Instead of having to search for the perfect track, now users can simply write a prompt in Vids to create the exact track they’re looking for.

Whether you need music that matches your brand’s style for an internal announcement video or a track for an ad you’re publishing to announce a new product, this capability enhances the overall video creation experience by delivering high-quality music that is highly relevant to your company or organization’s brand and style.

Users can generate and insert custom music

Getting started

Admins: Music generation is available by default and can be disabled at the domain level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Vids.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about getting started with Google Vids.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout starting on March 25, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Other Editions: Individual; Nonprofits
AI Add-ons: AI Ultra Access; AI Expanded Access; Google AI Pro for Education
Other Add-ons: Teaching and Learning

Important note

Workspace customers will get promotional access to higher usage limits of music generation in Vids, allowing users to experiment with this feature. Per-user usage limits may apply afterward; we’ll provide more information in a future update prior to any changes.
For a limited time, at least through May 31, 2026, Business Starter, Enterprise Starter, Nonprofit, Education Plus, and Teaching and Learning add-on accounts can access generative AI features in Vids. Learn about Google Vids availability.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn Vids on or off for users
Google Workspace Admin Help: Get started with Google Vids
Google Workspace Admin Help: Learn about availability of Gemini features in Google Vids

Create longer musical tracks in the Gemini app with Lyria 3 Pro

2026-03-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last month, we introduced 30-second tracks with Lyria 3, featuring custom music generation designed to spark creative expression. Now, we’re also introducing Lyria 3 Pro, an advanced version that allows users to create tracks up to three minutes long, with customization and creative control. Lyria 3 Pro better understands musical composition, so users can now prompt for specific elements like intros, verses, choruses, and bridges. It’s great for experimenting with different styles or adding custom tracks to projects, presentations, or assets.

Note: Lyria 3 Pro music generation in Gemini is currently available globally in English, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French for users over the age of 18.

Getting started

Admins: The Gemini app and related in-app tools are controlled by the Generative AI settings in the Workspace Admin console. Music generation in Gemini is subject to these existing controls. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning the Gemini app on or off.
End users: End users will receive access to full-length songs in Lyria 3 automatically. To get started, select “Create music” from the tools menu.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on March 25, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
AI Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education, AI Expanded Access, AI Ultra Access
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra

Resources

Keyword Blog: Lyria 3 Pro: Create longer tracks in more Google products
Keyword Blog: Use Lyria 3 to create music tracks in the Gemini app
Google Workspace Updates: Create custom soundtracks with Lyria 3 in the Gemini app
Google Workspace Updates: Generate custom music in Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3
Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn the Gemini app on or off
Google Help: Generate music with Gemini Apps

Safeguarded guest admit flow in Google Meet

2026-03-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Meeting hosts will now get those requests presented in two separate queues. A new second queue now shows requests from connections where the host is more likely to need a closer look before deciding to approve them into the meeting. The default action for entries in this queue is to deny entry.

Hosts/co-hosts still remain in control and are always free to take another action than the default suggested.

New notifications and people panel updates for the improved admit flow

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 24, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 7, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Help: Add or remove people from a Google Meet meeting or call

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - March 20, 2026

2026-03-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Easily find and set time zones in Google Calendar by searching for city or country

We’re introducing an improved time zone picker for Google Calendar on the web. Instead of manually scrolling through the list of options, you can now simply search for and select a specific city or country, making it easier to coordinate and schedule with others in different time zones. | Learn more about how to easily find and set time zones in Google Calendar by searching for city or country.

Workspace audit logs: New functionality and expanded event fields

We’re releasing a number of enhancements to Workspace audit logs. | Learn more about the new functionality and expanded event fields in Workspace audit logs.

Introducing the new Meetings section in Google Chat

We’re introducing a dedicated Meetings section in Google Chat—a new way to organize your conversation list and keep your meeting conversations in one place. | Learn more about the new Meetings section in Google Chat.

New ways to customize and interact with your content in NotebookLM

We’re introducing several updates to NotebookLM that give users more flexibility when uploading sources, new ways to create and edit visuals from NotebookLM and improvements to the interactive study tools. | Learn more about new ways to customize and interact with your content in NotebookLM.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

New ways to customize and interact with your content in NotebookLM

2026-03-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

More functions and new visual communication tools

Slide revisions: Users can now revise presentation content, ask for changes or fix any issues on both desktop and mobile. Users can submit stylistic or factual feedback for each slide and the slides are regenerated quickly as a new deck in the Studio panel.

Cinematic Video Overviews: Cinematic Video Overviews are immersive, deep-dive videos with fluid animations and rich, detailed visuals to help you learn and engage with the topics you care about. Gemini models make hundreds of structural and stylistic decisions to best tell the story with your sources. The videos are ideal for visualizing complex narratives and academic research.

New infographic styles: Users can now manually choose from ten new predefined infographic styles to visually summarize their sources. Options include: Sketch Note, Kawaii, Professional, Scientific, Anime, Clay, Editorial, Instructional, Bento Grid, and Bricks. By default, NotebookLM will continue to auto-select the best style for your sources.

Improved flashcards & quizzes: Progress is now saved and loaded across sessions when using Flashcards and Quizzes in NotebookLM. Users can also now mark flashcards as "Got it" or "Missed it," shuffle the deck, and use a new results screen to rerun any cards they missed. Additionally, specific flashcards or quiz questions can now be deleted. These improvements are available on both web and mobile.

Improvements to flashcards and quizzes are available to all users. Slide revisions, Cinematic Video Overviews, and new infographic styles are available to users over the age of 18.

Support for more file types

EPUB: All NotebookLM users can now upload EPUB files, the standard, open-source file format for eBooks, as a supported source type in NotebookLM, making it easier to research and interact with long-form digital books.
PPTX export: Users can now export generated slide decks as PPTX (in addition to PDF).

Chat improvements

Saved and secure conversation history: To support long-term projects, your conversations will be automatically saved and kept private to you. You can close a session and resume it later without losing your conversation history. You can delete chat history at any time, and in shared notebooks, your chat is visible only to you.
Artifact creation in chat: You can now instantly transform your chat conversations into stunning Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, tailored reports, and more. Just ask Notebook to create the artifact of your choosing — all without leaving the chat.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for these features. Visit the Admin Help Center to learn more about turning NotebookLM on or off for users.
End users: There is no end user setting for these features. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Slide revisions, new infographic styles, improved flashcards & quizzes, EPUB as a source, PPTX export, saved and secure conversation history, artifact creation in chat

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts with access to NotebookLM

Cinematic Video Overviews (English only)

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
AI Add-ons: AI Ultra Access, AI Expanded Access, AI Pro for Education

Visit the Help Center to learn more about NotebookLM features and access by Workspace edition.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn NotebookLM on or off for users
Google Help: Get started with the NotebookLM mobile app
Google Help: Add or discover new sources for your notebook
Google Help: Use chat in NotebookLM
Google Help: Generate an Infographic in NotebookLM
Google Help: Generate a Slide Deck in NotebookLM
Google Help: Generate Video Overviews in NotebookLM
Keyword: Generate your own Cinematic Video Overviews in NotebookLM

Introducing the new Meetings section in Google Chat

2026-03-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

We’re introducing a dedicated Meetings section in Google Chat—a new way to organize your conversation list and keep your meeting conversations in one place.

Previously, meeting conversations lived in your direct messages, often making it difficult to find specific project discussions or meeting notes.

You can now group all past and future meeting chats into a single, dedicated section in your conversation list. Once a meeting concludes, the meeting conversation (if used) seamlessly moves into this section, providing a persistent home for ongoing follow-ups.

When the feature becomes available, users may see a promotional in-app banner or tooltip highlighting the new Meetings section and inviting them to enable it to better organize their conversation list.

Image depicts a user selecting "Try it" from the promotional prompt to initiate the new Meetings section

Once created, the new Meetings section appears as a distinct category in the conversation list, located under Direct Messages and Spaces. It acts as a smart folder that automatically aggregates any continuous meeting conversation in one place. This section can be moved, deleted, or reordered at any time.

Image depicts the newly created Meeting section under Direct Messages and Spaces in the conversation list

Key benefits include:

Organization: Keeps all meeting related conversations in one place.
Discoverability: Easily find details from a meeting days after the call has ended.
Control: This is an optional feature. You decide where the section sits in your conversation list, and you can move individual meeting threads to any custom section you’ve created.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be configured to “Default on” with “Hosts can modify” by default. You can adjust this setting by organizational units (OU), configuration groups, or individual users. Please note that Google Chat must be enabled for your organization to configure continuous meeting chat. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: This feature is off by default and requires user opt-in. To activate this feature, users must go to the three-dot overflow menu found on any section of their conversation list. From the resulting dropdown, they should choose "Create a meeting section" and then click "Create." Once enabled, the section will appear in the conversation list beneath Direct Messages and Spaces, and can be moved or removed at any time. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Image depicts a user going to the 3 dot overflow to manually create the meeting section.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on March 19, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 2, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Blog: New to Google Meet: Continue your conversations in Google Chat
Google Help: Learn how to use Chat with Google Meet

Workspace audit logs: New functionality and expanded event fields

2026-03-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

We’re releasing a number of enhancements to Workspace audit logs, including:

Log filtering enhancements for Resource fields in the security investigation tool for Gmail and Google Drive
Updated Application and Network fields available in the Workspace audit log integration with Google Security Operations (SecOps)
Expanded filtering in the AdminSDK Activities.List method
New OwnerDetails field in the events published to the AdminSDK and BigQuery

Log filtering enhancements for Resource fields in the security investigation tool for Gmail and Google Drive

The security investigation tool now features improved filtering for the Resources attribute for Gmail and Google Drive log events. These updates enable administrators to execute more granular searches, particularly by utilizing classification labels. Because classification labels offer essential metadata for identifying sensitive content and enforcing security policies, the capability to filter audit logs through these labels is vital for analyzing data patterns and investigating security incidents.

Additionally, we have also added filtering support for the Actor application info attribute for Gmail log events.

Updated Application and Network fields available in the Workspace audit log integration with Google Security Operations (SecOps)

The following fields will now be included in the audit events sent to SecOps, where applicable:

Expanded filtering in the AdminSDK Activities.List method

We’re adding filtering for the following fields in the Activities.List method of the AdminSDK:

RegionCode: Filter audit logs belonging to specified region using networkInfoFilter field in the api request
OAuthClientId: Filter audit logs where actions are done by specified app using applicationInfoFilter field in the api request

New OwnerDetails field in the events published to the AdminSDK and BigQuery

A new OwnerDetails field in Resource Details identifies who owns a resource using two primary fields:

Owner Type: This specifies the category of the owner. The owner of the resource can be an individual person (USER), entire organization (CUSTOMER), or a GROUP. SHARED_DRIVE
Owner Identity: This contains specific details (like IDs or email addresses) of that owner

Getting started

Admins: As the changes roll out, get started with your analysis in either the Audit and Investigation tool, Admin SDK (Reports API), SecOps, or BigQuery.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Availability

Available for Google Workspace with Audit Log eligible licenses. Note that Classification labels are available only for some editions.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help:

Easily find and set time zones in Google Calendar by searching for city or country

2026-03-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

This improvement is available on all Google Calendar surfaces where a time zone can be picked. For example, in meeting scheduling flows, setting a secondary timezone for your main calendar grid view or for configuring the world clock.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be ON by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 12, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on April 5, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Help: Use Google Calendar in different time zones

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - March 13, 2026

2026-03-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Updates to meetings made by a delegate user are now sent in the name of the principal

In Google Calendar this can be set up by sharing an executive’s calendar with “Make changes to events” or “Make changes and manage sharing” permissions with a delegate user. | Learn more about how updates to meetings made by a delegate user are now sent in the name of the principal.

New Device ID for Google Meet hardware

We’re replacing the current Device ID (“Legacy ID”) for Google Meet hardware devices with a new Device ID. This new Device ID will be displayed everywhere you currently see the Legacy ID throughout the Google Admin console. | Learn more about the new Device ID for Google Meet hardware.

Assign Google Calendars to Google Meet hardware in bulk

We’re making it easier to manage calendar assignments for your Meet hardware devices. You can now assign or unassign Google Calendars to your Meet hardware devices in bulk by uploading a CSV file. | Learn more about assigning Google Calendars to Google Meet hardware in bulk.

Better screen scaling for Google Calendar on large monitors

Google Calendar on the web now offers improved scaling on large, high-resolution monitors. This update provides a clearer overview of your day or week by reducing unnecessary whitespace and better utilizing your available screen space. | Learn more about how to better screen scaling for Google Calendar on large monitors.

Control continuous meeting chat for your organization

We’re excited to introduce a new admin control for this feature In the Workspace Admin console, under Meet Safety Settings, you’ll now see a continuous meeting chat setting that allows you to configure continuous meeting chat behavior for your organization. | Learn more about how to control the continuous meeting chat for your organization.

Use Help me schedule in Gmail to easily set up a meeting time with multiple guests

Previously, "Help me schedule" was limited to scheduling between two individuals. With this update, users can now coordinate meetings with multiple guests directly from the Gmail compose window. | Learn more about how to use Help me schedule in Gmail to easily set up a meeting time with multiple guests.

Whisk is moving to Flow on April 30, 2026

On April 30, 2026, the best capabilities from Whisk are moving directly into Flow, Google's unified platform for AI-powered image and video creation. | Learn more about Whisk directly moving into Flow.

Gemini in Chrome expands to more countries and languages, including Canada, New Zealand, and India

Gemini in Chrome is rolling out now to Canada, New Zealand, and India, and we’re adding support for 50+ more languages across these countries and in the United States. | Learn more about how Gemini in Chrome expands to more countries and languages, including Canada, New Zealand, and India.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Gemini in Chrome expands to more countries and languages, including Canada, New Zealand, and India

2026-03-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Gemini in Chrome is rolling out now to Canada, New Zealand, and India, and we’re adding support for 50+ more languages across these countries and in the United States. You can see the full list of supported languages here.

Gemini in Chrome empowers business and education users with AI tools that integrate seamlessly into their daily browsing workflows while maintaining strict data governance. It’s also available to users with personal Google accounts who can access the Gemini app.

Gemini in Chrome allows users to:

Get answers and insights: Summarize articles, clarify complex concepts, or find specific information based on the context of open tabs.
Generate content: Draft emails and social media posts, or create images directly in the browser.
Go live: Engage in two-way voice conversations with Gemini Live to brainstorm ideas or prepare for meetings.

Getting started

Admins: This feature is ON by default unless you’ve already disabled the Gemini app service setting or the Chrome Gemini setting. The feature can be turned on or off at the domain, OU, or group level. Refer to Turn the Gemini app on or off or our previous announcement for information on the terms of service and privacy considerations for the feature.
End users: To access Gemini in Chrome, click the Gemini icon at the top of your browser. You must meet the criteria listed here.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) started on March 10, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace plans, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts on ChromeOS, MacOS and Windows devices

Resources

Chrome Enterprise & Education Help: Gemini in Chrome
Workspace Updates Blog: Use the Gemini in Chrome AI browsing assistant, now generally available
Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn the Gemini app on or off
Google Workspace Admin Help: Review Gemini usage in your organization
Chrome Enterprise: Gemini Settings
Google Workspace Admin Help: Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub